Board approves moving agenda meetings to same day as regular meetings

ROTTERDAM  Citizens interested in Rotterdam’s Town Board will now have to visit Town Hall half as often.

The Rotterdam Town Board at its Wednesday, April 25, meeting approved holding agenda meetings at 5:30 p.m. prior to regularly scheduled board meetings. The board has previously held agenda meetings at 5:30 p.m. the Monday before the regular Wednesday meeting.

Councilman Robert Godlewski cast the sole vote against the switch, with the other four board members voicing no qualms against it.

Godlewski motioned to table the resolution to further discuss the switch, but nobody seconded that.

“In essence what we are doing it doubling up on a meeting,” Godlewski said. “The reason … we have had these meetings is if there is any changes to be made or any request by board members they are made at that agenda meeting.”

Godlewski said there have been numerous changes to agendas during the Monday meeting. He said this will not allow the public to know about any changes or updates to the draft of the agenda.

“I find it very hard to understand or even follow it logically to expect the public to come to an agenda meeting at 5:30 and then stick around to seven o’clock for the regular Town Board meeting,” Godlewski said. “I don’t think it is reasonable.”

Supervisor Harry Buffardi said after the meeting he does not think it unreasonable to hold the agenda meeting prior to the regular meeting. He noted the time of the agenda meeting is remaining unchanged.

Also, there are traditionally very few residents at the agenda meetings, he said.

“The public routinely does not attend agenda meetings,” he said.

Since the beginning of this year, Buffardi said he has only seen two to three different residents attend the meeting, outside of department heads, town employees or invited guests.